It is this time of year that the public must be especially aware of the information provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases and other public health organizations and follow through on their suggestions.

According to a recent survey, two-thirds of consumers would refuse to patronize establishments such as restaurants or hotels with dirty restrooms, and more than half said they would likely review a business more negatively — online or offline — based on whether the restroom was clean.

Public restrooms have a reputation for being unsanitary, germy hotspots. This is because many people do not wash their hands properly and spread germs to highly-touched surfaces like sink faucets, door handles and paper towel dispensers.

Healthcare facilities across the nation continue to try to strike a balance between environmental disinfectants that are effective in reducing or destroying undesirable microbes, while ensuring patient and employee safety and protecting furnishings and surfaces.